Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Artificial Intelligence

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to invest in projects to improve the development of artificial intelligence in the UK.

lord henley: Artificial Intelligence is one of the global trends which will transform our future, changing jobs and businesses across the country, and we want people to be able to capitalise on these opportunities.The AI Sector Deal, announced in April 2018, outlines up to £0.95bn package of support for the sector, which includes Government, industry and academic contributions.Since the Sector Deal launch the Government has invested in a number of areas. For example:Announcement of £20 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) support for Next Generation Services using artificial intelligence, and £210 million ISCF support for Data to early diagnostics and precision medicine which includes using AI to analyse medical images in digital pathology.Funded up to £50m for five new centres of excellence for digital pathology and imaging, including radiology, using AI medical advances.Funded £30m for the new Bayes Centre in Edinburgh, a world-leading centre of data science and AI in October 2018.£3m for three new research projects to investigate how businesses can make best use of AI in insurance and law as well as analysing consumer attitudes to AI.Announced up to £79 million of Government funding to study 5 million healthy people to develop new diagnostic tests using AI.Announced up to £79 million for three new AI programmes to transform engineering, urban planning and healthcare.Announced £600,000 funding for UK-Korea Health Sciences collaboration to focus on better diagnosis of dementia through the use of AI.40 artificial intelligence and data analytics projects, backed by £13 million in Government, announced to boost productivity and improve customer service.Our ambition in AI and data will not stop at the Sector Deal. This is only the start of the UK’s plans to be recognised as a place where ingenuity and entrepreneurship can flourish, where technology follows the highest ethical standards and where the transformative potential of this technology is spread across the UK economy more widely and for the betterment of society.

Bombardier: Belfast

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with Bombardier about its decision to sell its aerospace structures division, including its manufacturing facilities in Belfast.

lord henley: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has spoken to Alain Bellemare, the Bombardier President and CEO, and Michael Ryan, the Chief Operating Officer of Aerostructures and Engineering Services, about their plans to sell the Belfast Aerostructures and Engineering Services operations. This is a result of Bombardier’s decision to focus its aerospace division on business jets.The Belfast plant, its expertise and its highly skilled and dedicated staff will be highly sought after. The Government will work with potential buyers to ensure this successful and ambitious business is positioned for future growth.

Bombardier: Belfast

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, they are satisfied that they have sufficient authority to negotiate with, and offer financial or other support to, any potential buyer of Bombardier's aerospace structures division in Belfast.

lord henley: Bombardier’s Belfast plant, its expertise and its highly skilled and dedicated staff will be highly sought after. The Government will work with Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to support potential buyers to take this successful and ambitious business forward.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are provided in product safety legislation to ensure that flame retardants used in furniture and furnishings are safe for everyday use.

lord henley: Chemicals, including flame retardants used in furniture and furnishings, are regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). This aims to provide a high level of protection for health and the environment from the use of chemicals including those used in products. In order to comply with REACH, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate how the substances can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users. If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can ban or restrict the use of substances. All furniture must also comply with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and be safe before it can be placed on the market.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the University of Central Lancashire paperFlame retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than reduce fire growth rate, published in December 2017; (2) whether they consulted the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in making any such assessment; and (3) whether they intend to review the efficacy of flame retardants which are currently on the market.

lord henley: The Government is currently reviewing the operation of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)( Safety) Regulations 1988 and will take account of evidence from external sources such as academic papers as well as the views of experts from across government, including Chief Scientific Advisors. It is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure that any flame retardants they use are effective in meeting legal requirements for safety.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all flame retardants currently in use in furniture and furnishings are safe.

lord henley: Flame retardant chemicals are regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). To comply with REACH, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate how the substances can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users. If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can ban or restrict the use of substances. It is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure that any flame retardants they use are effective in meeting legal requirements for safety.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of whether manufacturersnotmeeting the requirement to list the chemical constituents of flame retardants used in furniture and furnishings is a barrier to customers making informed decisions; and (2) whether by not meeting this requirement, the safe disposal or recycling of furniture which may contain banned chemicals is prevented.

lord henley: The Government is reviewing the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 and has consulted on whether to introduce a specific requirement for furniture labels to stipulate any flame retardants used in their manufacture. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course. We are currently conducting behavioural insights research to develop a comprehensive understanding of consumer attitudes towards product safety including what assumptions consumers make about risk and safety.

Fire Hazards

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government why highly flammable foams which form hydrogen cyanide when burnt are permitted to be used in furniture upholstery and building insulation.

lord henley: We are committed to ensuring high levels of consumer safety. Furniture must comply with the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations. These regulations are currently being reviewed. Insulation materials used in buildings must comply with the 2010 Building Regulations. MHCLG published in December 2018 a call for evidence starting a technical review of the Building Regulations’ guidance with regards to fire safety (Approved Document B). The Department is currently reviewing the responses to this call for evidence.

Fire Resistant Materials: Innovation

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to promote innovation and market uptake of flame-resistant chemical-free materials.

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted life-cycle analyses to evaluate the benefits, risks, health and environmental effects of chemical flame retardants, alongside their fire safety impacts; and if so, (1) when, and (2) where such analyses have been published.

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, further to the 2014 and 2016 consultations on Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations and the Technical Paper: Systematic Rationale for modification of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations in relation to Schedules 4 & 5, published in October 2014, which outlined the problems with the match test, they will now revoke that test.

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have collected on the effectiveness of provision of safety of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 that differs to that included in their document Technical Paper: Systematic Rationale for modification of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations in relation to Schedules 4 & 5, published in October 2014; and if they have any such evidence, whether they will publish it.

lord henley: The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are being reviewed to ensure they reflect changed fire safety risks, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns of chemical flame retardants whilst maintaining product safety protections. The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants. The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation on the regulations in due course. This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.

Summertime: EU Action

baroness nye: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to continuing alignment between UK and EU policy on seasonal time changes, after the European Parliament voted to endthem from October 2021.

lord henley: The Government does not believe there is any case for changing the current arrangements. I am working with EU Member States to convince them and the European Commission of our position.We believe the current system works for citizens in the UK and there is no evidence that justifies the abolition of daylight saving time, which currently already ensures harmonisation of time in the EU.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sayed Alwadaei

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the open letter published in the Guardian on 11 April, signed by human rights organisations, lawyers and MPs, relating to the situation of Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei and his family in Bahrain.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the letter that was published by The Guardian on 11 April and subsequent refutation from the Bahraini Embassy. We have raised the cases of Bahraini nationals Hajer Mansoor Hassan, Sayed Nazar Al Wadaei, and Mahmood Marzooq Mansoor at senior levels with the Bahraini Government. The Bahraini Government has been clear these convictions are not related to activities of Mr Al Wadaei and have given details on charges. The Government of Bahrain has given categorical assurances that Ms Mansoor has had access to medical treatment, and will continue to receive access to appropriate medical care as guaranteed by the constitution of Bahrain. We shall continue to monitor this case closely.

Department of Health and Social Care

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of their 2013–18 antimicrobial resistance strategy at addressing the problem of multi-resistantE. coli-like bacteria; what assessment they have made of recent trends in the number of multi-resistant E. coli-like bacteria in the UK; and what factors inform their view of the balance between efforts to reduce transmission and efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: While we can count many successes from our 2013-18 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy, resistance has continued to increase. In the United Kingdom we have seen a 35% increase in resistant blood stream infections in humans from 2013-17.The number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) is increasing each year. Although the proportion of antibiotic resistant BSIs remain stable year to year, the burden on resistance increases. This is mostly due to increasing prevalence of E.coli bloodstream infections.Estimates of the multi-resistant cases can be made, however not all the bacteria are tested against the same antibiotics, so a definitive number of cases cannot be given. The Public Health England Fingertips tool also has an indicator showing the rolling quarterly average proportion of E. coli blood specimens non-susceptible to at least three of the key antimicrobials (gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, 3rd-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems). For England this is 5.5% with little fluctuation over time.This is exactly why the UK’s five-year national action plan for AMR, published alongside the UK 20-year vision for AMR on 24 January 2019, includes a strengthened focus on infection prevention and control, renewing our commitment to halve levels of healthcare associated Gram-negative blood stream infections (mostly E.coli) by 2023-24. The plan also sets a world-first target to reduce the actual numbers of resistant infections, with the aim to reduce them by 10% by 2025.We are working with the devolved health administrations to develop consistent methodologies for reporting the incidence and mortality of key antibiotic resistant infections and antimicrobial use to allow us to report progress on the ambitions of the AMR national action plan.As reductions in inappropriate prescribing also reduces the risk of promoting the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, interventions to reduce antibiotic prescribing or transmission of the bacteria are complementary.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Family Planning

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance to contraceptiveand family planning services reaches clients free of charge at the point of delivery (1) bilaterally, (2) multilaterally through UN bodies, (3) through non-governmental organisations, and (4) in total.

baroness sugg: Our family planning programmes are delivered in accordance with local government policies, and the financial model varies considerably from context to context. We do not currently collect the information requested as it would be difficult to do this comprehensively and reliably. The UK is working with others to encourage governments to adopt ambitious investment goals for Universal Health Coverage, including sexual reproductive health and rights. Through our work with partner countries, we promote financial protection and reductions in out of pocket health expenditure, to reduce the burden on poor people and families. Our new regional WISH programme with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is focused on reaching the very poor and reducing costs. Although some country programmes do charge for clients who can afford to pay, they employ a no-refusal policy to allow clients that are poor. Proceeds from these services are used to further access for the poorest and most marginalised.

Developing Countries: Health Services

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theywill ensure that child survival and the proposal that 2020 be designated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife are on the agendas at all relevant meetings of (1) the United Nations, (2) the Commonwealth, (3) international health conferences and (4) international development conferences.

baroness sugg: The UK is a strong advocate for the strengthening of health systems to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Child survival and investment in health workers such as nurses and midwives are central to UHC and therefore we promote these and related initiatives through our advocacy for UHC at all relevant international meetings.

Department for Education

Alternative Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of unregistered alternative education providers in England.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally.While Ofsted does not directly inspect unregistered settings, inspectors are expected to consider the progress of pupils who attend off-site provision as part of school and college inspections. In all cases, the local authority or school acting as the alternative provision commissioner, should assure themselves that the provision is delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Housing

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of legal aid fees for housing cases not being increased for 20 years on the number of solicitors' firms providing advice and representation; for what reason they has been no increase in such fees; whether they intend to increase those fees; and if not, why not.

lord keen of elie: In February 2019 the Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) was published. This included an evidence based assessment of the impact of changes to civil fees made as part of The Legal Aid Reform Programme. The PIR found that for the vast majority of England and Wales there is sufficient coverage of legal provision. This is regularly monitored by the LAA and action is taken where gaps in services are identified or where demand is greater than the available supply. It is also worth noting that wherever you are in England and Wales, legal advice for housing remains available through the telephone gateway.

Judges

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Judge Advocates sit in civilian courts; and how many are licensed to try (1) murder, and (2) rape cases.

lord keen of elie: All six currently serving Judge Advocates are eligible to sit in the Crown Court and do so regularly. The Judge Advocate General is a Senior Circuit Judge and the Vice-Judge Advocate General and one Assistant-Judge Advocate General also hold appointments as Recorders. The other three Assistant-Judge Advocate Generals are entitled to sit under the Armed Forces Act 2011 s26. The Judge Advocate General is ticketed to try murder cases in the Crown Court. The Judge Advocate General, the Vice-Judge Advocate General and one Assistant-Judge Advocate General are ticketed to try rape cases. Judge Advocates attend the same training as a Circuit Judge sitting in the Crown Court.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Community Infrastructure Levy

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities in England make use of the Community Infrastructure Levy; and what is the latest annual revenue for each local authority from that charge.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: There are currently 161 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging authorities in England. Of these, 151 charging authorities were obliged to report on revenues for 2017-18. (Ten authorities started charging CIL during the reporting year and will report their first CIL data in 2018/19).The 151 authorities reporting in 2017/18 comprised of 148 Local Authorities 1 National Park,1 Mayoral Development Corporation in London (London Legacy Development Corporation) and the Mayor of London (MCIL) which is accounted for separatelyThe MCIL revenue broken down by borough is published on the Mayor of London website https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mcil_annual_receipt_update_2012-2018.pdf The revenue for each charging authority is listed belowThe latest reported data for CIL Charging Authorities CIL Charging Authorities2017-18Babergh£514,446.85Barnet£11,215,000.00Basingstoke & DeaneFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Bassetlaw£734,775.37Bath & North-East Somerset£5,080,557.07Bedford£3,203,351.91Birmingham£2,207,929.60Bournemouth BC£992,707.37Bracknell Forest£4,366,101.09Bradford£0.00Brent£28,890,719.27Bristol£3,736,616.37Broadland£1,778,525.41Cannock Chase£211,434.00Chelmsford£4,796,444.11CheltenhamFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Cheshire EastFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Cheshire West & Chester£0.00Chesterfield£718,070.00Chichester DC£2,852,376.37Chorley£1,810,580.84Christchurch£130,626.00City of London£5,109,817.89CornwallFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Crawley£80,605.40Croydon£10,389,000.00Dacorum£1,020,632.72Dartford£915,999.00Daventry DC£989,653.96Dudley£78,936.09East Cambridgeshire£2,718,931.00East Devon£396,086.35East Dorset£114,135.67East Hampshire£999,755.01Eastbourne BC£57,807.65Elmbridge£5,963,000.00Enfield£502,861.61Epsom & Ewell Exeter£6,510,742.00Fareham£1,764,562.00Gateshead£34,009.23Gedling£417,212.34Gloucester CityFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Gosport BC£85,054.03Hambleton DC£838,404.32Hammersmith & Fulham£2,707,031.27Haringey£1,887,688.21Harrow£4,685,689.00Havant£1,517,620.13Hertsmere£1,913,203.51Hillingdon£3,636,863.00Horsham£28,822.51Hull (Kingston-Upon-Hull)£0.00Huntingdonshire£6,173,921.25Islington£8,247,191.50Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£116,052.00Kingston-Upon-Thames, LB£504,983.04Lambeth£2,786,078.10LB Barking and Dagenham£829,421.19LB Bexley£1,918,210.06LB Camden£1,130,005.00LB Greenwich£2,756,431.28LB Hackney£9,885,003.57LB Hounslow£3,847,417.73LB Kensington & Chelsea£4,948,148.00LB Southwark LB Tower Hamlets£13,991,577.67Leeds£4,151,410.86Lewes£2,667,782.93Lewisham£3,359,091.04Lichfield£286,797.04Lincoln City£0.00London Legacy Development Corporation£2,805,206.62MaidstoneFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Malvern Hills£522,456.00Merton£2,613,369.66Mid Suffolk£767,976.72Mole Valley£456,465.21New Forest DC£1,084,989.09Newark & Sherwood£543,708.74Newcastle£3,204,857.00Newham£7,225,689.17North Kestevan£0.00North Somerset£0.00North TynesideFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Northampton£0.00Norwich£793,805.00Oxford£4,995,586.00Peterborough City Council£496,541.93Plymouth£1,347,113.86Poole£3,583,593.38Portsmouth£2,040,791.00Preston£4,671,592.50Purbeck£383,100.82Reading BC£4,452,136.82Redbridge£490,656.47Reigate & Banstead£965,418.45Richmond-Upon-Thames£2,392,107.00Rother£406,111.36Rotherham£0.00Rutland County Council DC£265,730.00Ryedale DC£57,176.66Sandwell£224,433.20Sedgemoor BC£470,567.34Selby£478,243.31Sevenoaks£3,064,576.85Sheffield£3,634,677.16Shepway ( Folkestone and Hythe)£25,689.00Shropshire£8,159,345.15Solihull£872,794.00South Downs NP£197,481.49South Gloucestershire£2,051,165.87South Lakeland£160,805.60South Norfolk£1,691,906.60South Northamptonshire£366,112.00South Oxfordshire£2,190,161.72South Ribble553,388.00South Somerset£0.00Southampton£4,659,899.27Southend-On-Sea Borough Council£300,390.86Spelthorne BC£1,155,129.31Stratford-On-Avon£0.00Stroud£26,608.47Suffolk Coastal£2,263,573.95Surrey Heath£4,999,872.77Sutton£1,736,709.92Swindon£735,431.08TamworthFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Tandridge£1,092,244.45Taunton Deane£1,020,799.29Teignbridge£2,105,061.00Test Valley£405,863.44TewkesburyFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Three Rivers BC£1,623,639.07Torbay£180.00Trafford£1,067,425.22Vale of White Horse£70,014.12Wakefield£1,277,009.58Waltham Forest£6,706,177.45Wandsworth£24,919,139.00Warwick£0.00Watford BC£762,986.63Waveney£669,315.87WaverleyFirst revenue will be reported in 2018/19Wealden£4,798,864.04West Berkshire BC£1,678,294.15West Dorset£246,320.40West Lancashire£2,257,038.00West Lindsay£0.00Westminster£14,998,766.32Weymouth & Portland£127,050.08Wiltshire County Council£3,779,931.65Winchester£2,833,034.00Windsor & Maidenhead£823,912.20Woking BC£1,280,088.10Wokingham£11,231,644.00Worcester City£0.00Worthing£267,274.53Wychavon£745,854.00Wycombe£4,513,827.00  Total CIL£348,100,791.43  MCIL£108,994,589.00 To note:1. this information has been gathered by MHCLG from council websites, for monitoring purposes and so the data has not been subject to the full quality assurance required for Government statistics.2. Where there is no figure for CIL revenue in the table, authorities have yet to report their 2017-18 CIL revenue.

Buildings: Climate Change

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the announcement made on 22 April by the New York City Mayor that he intends to ban glass clad skyscrapers because of their contribution to global warming; and whether they consider it to have any implications for future construction of high rise buildings in the UK.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are deliberately couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used, allowing builders the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost effective solutions in particular circumstances. We plan to consult in the coming months on improving energy efficiency requirements in new and existing buildings where the evidence suggests it is cost effective, affordable, practical and safe to do so.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what upgrades to accommodation provided in the UK to service personnel and their families have been completed since 2015.

earl howe: The following table shows the number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties which have had upgrade work carried out in the financial years stated, against each category. The figures in the table do not include upgrades to Single Living Accommodation. Figures for financial year 2015-16 are only held as total works completed and are not broken down into categories, as shown for later years. 



HL15511 - SFA properties with upgraded work
(Word Document, 26.33 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Eastman Kodak: Pensions Protection Fund

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for oversight of matters regarding the Pensions Protection Fund (PPF) and Kodak; and whether they plan to commission an independent review of the handling of Kodak by the PPF and the Pensions Regulator and the advice received by both.

baroness buscombe: The Pension Protection Fund is a statutory public corporation led by its Board and accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions. The original decision in the Kodak case, which provided savers with the potential to receive benefits above Pension Protection Fund levels, was finely balanced and carefully assessed with the benefit of the due diligence carried out for the trustees. Regulated Apportionment Arrangements, a restructuring mechanism which allows a financially troubled employer to detach itself from its liabilities in respect of a defined benefit scheme, are rare and The Pensions Regulator will only agree to them if stringent criteria are met, with entry into the Pension Protection Fund the expected outcome, and the Pension Protection Fund must not object to the Regulated Apportionment Arrangements. The Pensions Regulator published a section 89 regulatory intervention report in November 2014 describing in detail the considerations leading to the decision in this case. As a condition of approving the successor Kodak pension scheme in 2014, a memorandum of understanding was put in place giving The Pensions Regulator the power to closely monitor the progress of the scheme and if necessary trigger its wind up. This has allowed The Pensions Regulator, with the Pension Protection Fund, to remain actively involved in discussions about the scheme’s future. Due to underperformance of the underlying business it was concluded that the scheme would be unable to meet its long term funding requirements. Action has therefore been taken to bring the scheme into a Pension Protection Fund assessment period which commenced on the 25 March 2019. Specialist firms with extensive Pension Protection Fund experience have been brought in to manage the administration of the pension scheme and to oversee its efficient passage through the assessment process. Whilst the Kodak case is a significant claim, the Pension Protection Fund remains in a robust financial position. In its last reported accounts, the Pension Protection Fund had a £6.7 billion reserve and is currently on track to reach its funding objective. There has been no immediate impact on the Pension Protection Fund Levy arising from this case. The Pension Protection Fund aims to collect £500m in levy in 2019/20 which is £50m lower than it aimed to collect in 2018/19. The Pensions Regulator aims to learn from every major pensions restructuring case and has refined its approach to complex pension restructurings in light of the lessons learned in the Kodak case and successive cases. A letter was sent on the 17th October 2018 from Lesley Titcomb, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Pensions Regulator, addressed to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Rt Hon Frank Field MP, summarising the lessons learnt in the Kodak case.

Home Office

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 11 April (HL1894), on what advice from the Security Service they concluded that there were national security grounds on which they refuse to answer questions about pedestrian access on Horseferry Road.

baroness williams of trafford: The government regularly consults with the Security Service about the disclosure of information that relates to the Security Service. The longstanding policy of not commenting on matters relating to the intelligence agencies has been agreed to be appropriate in this case because the changes to the pedestrian access have been made for reasons of building security.We cannot comment further on these reasons other than to say that the Security Service has taken all appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure the safety of pedestrians and any potential liability for negligence would be the same as with any public organisation. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament provides the means for the scrutiny of the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their priorities for the European Migration Fund; and what is the size of the fund in the present financial year.

baroness williams of trafford: The EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), to which this question presumably relates, is operated in the UK by the AMIF UK Responsible Authority. The total value of the fund to the UK is currently €538.2m.AMIF operates on a funding year different to the financial year, the AMIF year runs 16 October to 15 October, furthermore funding is allocated for the full 7-year programme.In agreeing the AMIF UK National Programme with the European Commission, the UK proposed an even spending plan across the programme, and the funds can be utilised flexibly across the programme, so the spending plan is only a rough guide.There is not a set amount allocated for the current financial year. To date the UK has utilised €372m, this figure includes both expenditure and funding committed by grant agreement. In addition, the Responsible Authority is currently undertaking an open call for proposals for integration related activities for a value of up to £50m.

Refugees: Syria

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue the Vulnerable Persons Refugee Scheme after 2020.

baroness williams of trafford: We are making positive progress in our work with key stakeholders and international organisations on our future Asylum and Resettlement Strategy. This includes consideration of the UK’s resettlement offer beyond 2020.

Home Office: Staff

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any Home Office staff have been convicted of criminal offences since 9 April 2018; and if so, in each case, what was the (1) nature of the offence, (2) date of conviction, and (3) sentence received.

baroness williams of trafford: Since 9 April 2018 three Home Office staff have been convicted of criminal offences. All were subject to appropriate disciplinary procedures and were dismissed by the point of conviction. The following table shows the breakdown of convictions and dates: Nature of offenceDate of convictionSentence receivedAssisting unlawful immigration09/04/201811 yearsSmuggling of drugs/firearms16/11/201823 yearsBribery11/04/20193 years and 9 months

Northern Ireland Office

General Practitioners: Northern Ireland

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967),how many (1) full-time GPs, and (2) part-time locum GPs (a) are currently employed, and (b) were employed in 2010,by the Northern Ireland Health Service.

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), how many General Practices there (1) are currently, and (2) were in 2010, in Northern Ireland.

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), how many patients per General Practice in Northern Ireland there (1) are currently, and (2) were in 2010.

lord duncan of springbank: Health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, has asked that such detailed questions be sent to the department. I therefore request that the Noble Lord contact Mr Pengelly directly. His email is:richard.pengelly@health-ni.gov.uk.

General Practitioners: Northern Ireland

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 3 April (HL14966 and HL14967), whether they will answer the questions originally put instead of referring to a website.

lord duncan of springbank: As health is a devolved matter, the appropriate body to respond to questions on the detail of medical practices, and the owner of health statistics in Northern Ireland, is the NI Department of Health. The UK Government does not hold or have access to the additional statistics asked for (beyond those already provided), as this policy area is devolved.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Mexico

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of UK trade with Mexico over the last five years; and of likely trade trends in the next five years.

viscount younger of leckie: The UK has a strong and growing trading relationship with Mexico. According to latest ONS data, the total bilateral trade in goods and services between the UK and Mexico in 2018 totalled £4.4bn, a 37.1% increase since 2013. We also have a strong working relationship with the Mexican government, as evidenced by the 2010 Canning Agenda, the State Visit in 2015 and the 2015 Dual Year. We expect this positive trend to continue in the future.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliamentary Archives: Fire Hazards

lord lexden: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of the fire risk to the Parliamentary Archives; and whether consideration is being given to moving them to fire-proof premises.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.The last fire risk assessment for Victoria Tower was carried out in 2016. It highlighted several fire safety issues, the majority of which have been dealt with as part of the Fire Safety Improvement Works Programme. This included the upgrade of the fire detection, new fire escape signage, emergency escape lighting and fire doors. There is also inherent fire compartmentation within the tower with the floors providing at least 30 minutes separation between the different levels. The fire risk assessment is scheduled for a review following the recent works and any issues highlighted in this review will be addressed.Planning work is being undertaken to move the Parliamentary Archives ahead of Restoration and Renewal of the Palace, under the auspices of the Archives Accommodation Programme. The programme is developing requirements and designs for a range of options. The designs will take into account all known fire risks and will meet the necessary British Standards, both for fire mitigation and for archival storage, care and use of such important heritage collections.